A Bit of The Before
by Relks the Disturbed
Summary: Taking a deeper look into the quartet know as Team Bulwark. A series of one-shots high-lighting Bulwark's first year at Beacon. A little side project I started for when I'm waiting on Puppeteer of the Realms.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, me hearties. As I am waiting for Puppeteer to arrive at the same point in the timeline of our little colab', I thought I'd start another fun little fic I can work on at my own pace, giving a bit more insight into my little OC Team. I present to you A Bit Of The Before, the tale of Team BWLK in their first year at Beacon Academy. Going to be re-describing my little playthings in case you have not read the recently renamed fic "A Wall Against The Dark".**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights belong to Monty Oum and RoosterTeeth. I am merely the catalyst of the imaginative workings of a twisted mind.**

**HAJIME!**

* * *

Abel Blackthorn looked up at the massive building that was Beacon Academy, looming before him in awe. He was tall for his age of seventeen, standing at six feet even. He was in good shape, with a lean, strong build beneath his clothing. Said clothing consisted of a black, hooded canvas jacket lined with two vertically placed pockets on either side of the zipper that lead to a tall collar that concealed most of his neck. Peeking through the gap in the partially unzipped coat was a midnight blue t-shirt, two buttons placed vertically and centered just below the neckline. His legs were clad in black fatigues, cargo pockets sewn into each leg just above the knee. Thin black boots adorned his feet, the supple leather feeling good under his feet. Fastened to his lower back along a belt tied around the waist of his fatigues were his weapons, Twin Fang, a pair of Colt 1911 Long Slide pistols with custom modifications.

More attention grabbing than his clothes, however, were Abel's features. Long, handsome features and slightly pale skin. Sharp, almost radiant golden eyes that took in everything as they darted from one place to the next, memorizing everything he saw. Most striking was his hair, cut short and spiky close to his head, snow white in the afternoon sun of Vale, and topped by nothing less than a pair of accordingly colored wolf ears.

"Father's words did not do the Academy justice," the snow-haired wolf Faunus murmured to himself as his eyes followed the long cobblestone path leading to the front of Beacon. He shrugged his dark gray and black sports bag more properly onto his left shoulder and grabbed the handle of his rolling suitcase with his right hand, proceeding to walk the path that lead to the famous combat school.

Students, both old and new could be seen walking about the campus. Each and every one stood out in their own way, whether it be their unique sense of fashion, or the variety of weapons they all carried. He saw one boy, looking to be about his age, with a regal yet uncomfortable bearing to his walk and a modern katana in a black sheath at his hip. The boy, or rather young man, was clad in a gray double-button coat, the collar tucked into itself with the left-side visible. He wore dark gray jeans with a black belt trailed through a single belt-loop on his right hip, the black sheath and katana hanging from the slack on the belt at his left hip. Dark gray boots that went up his leg to calf-level covered his feet, black leather straps sewn into the boots clasping the footwear to his legs with silver buckles. He had aristocratic features that would be considered handsome by many, with piercing sky blue eyes and spiked black hair that fell in a stylish layering down the back of his head, pushed away from his face.

Turning his gaze to his left, Abel saw an immensely tall man giving directions to another group of first-years, the large fellow standing next to a stack of suitcases all his own. Abel smiled as he saw this, walking towards the large man with little worry.

"Excuse me, friend," the wolf Faunus called, waving his hand to get the titanic man's attention as the colossus bid goodbye to the students he had been speaking to. The big guy turned to look at Abel, and the snow-haired boy was able(pardon the pun) to get a better look at him.

He easily stood at six and a half feet tall, with broad, muscular shoulders and a very developed musculature. His features were solid and somewhat rugged, with a strong chin, lightly-tanned skin and slightly deep-set dark brown eyes. His hair was buzzed almost to the scalp, a thin layer of ebony hair all the capped his head and clearly showed his hairline. He was clad in a plain crimson tunic and dark brown pants, crimson boots held by black buckles on his feet.

"Can I help you?" the crimson-clad mountain of a man asked, his voice deep and even. Abel caught the man's eyes widen slightly as they fell on his wolf ears, but thankfully he made no comment on them.

"I was wondering if you might be able to direct me to the main assembly. I was told upon leaving the Dustplane to leave my luggage there and join everyone else in the auditorium, but I am afraid I know not the way," Abel admitted, keeping his body language honest and open, hoping to make a good first impression on the large fellow.

_Mother and Father always did say to put your best foot forward when meeting someone new, _young Blackthorn thought to himself as he saw the large man nod in understanding.

"The attendants on the plane really should be more specific when giving directions," he sighed, massaging his temple at the ineptitude of the Dustplane staff before returning his gaze to Abel. "The main assembly room is in the main school building, in the large room on the left after you first enter. The auditorium is in the second annex, near the tower on the left. I'm actually heading that way myself if you would like to accompany me."

"That would be most appreciated," Abel said, inclining his wolf-eared head towards the large man, realizing he still did not know his name. "I'm Abel, by the way. Abel Blackthorn."

"Nice to meet you, Abel. I'm Leonidas Rosso, friends call me Leon," the literal bigger man introduced himself, extending his massive right hand to shake. Abel stood his rolling suitcase up, taking his hand away from it to return the favor, grasping Leon's hand firmly. He had to force himself not to wince at the sheer strength behind Leon's grip, casually noticing the way the man's entire arm seemed to bulge with muscle.

"A pleasure," Abel replied, flexing his hand a few times as his newfound friend let go. Leon grabbed at a handle at the top of the stack of suitcases, and Abel realized that Leon's things were actually stacked neatly and precisely onto a long-bottomed cart, a large square case and a nearly as long rectangular case dominating majority of the cart with only a few smaller suitcases and bags on it.

"If you don't mind my prying," Abel eyed the cases as the two resumed the walk to the school proper, "what is in there?" He pointed to the large square case.

"That would be my shield," Leon said, a small smile breaking across his face as he looked at the large case. "Its name is Arx, the rectangular one next to it is my family's sword, Secemo."

"Heirlooms?" Abel inquired, words out of his mouth before he put the fore-thought to why his new friend would have the family weapon.

"Inheritance, from my parents," Leon said, his expression growing somber for a moment, dark eyes dulling slightly as memories of his family went through the titanic man's mind.

"I'm sorry," Abel quickly apologized, the full implications of Leon's words finally registering.

"It's quite alright," Leon assured, waving away the apology with one large hand. "Just a few bad memories. That's why I'm hear. Following the path my father laid out for me before... well, before he wasn't around anymore."

"Again, my condolences," Abel apologized, earning himself a smack to the back from Leon. The sheer force behind the casual gesture pitched Abel forward, the wolf-boy having to skip a step to catch himself from falling over.

"I said don't fret on it, so let's just move on," Leon told Abel, indicating with his chin that they were already almost to the main building of the school. The two shared a pair of eager smiles and hurried into the building.

The inside of Beacon Academy, despite the name of the prestigious school, was admittedly somewhat dark. The architecture was a unique blend of modern and ancient, hinting at just how long the school had been around. Here again students were going to and fro, many heading for the door that Leon had pointed out earlier.

"How did you know exactly where the check-in was, Leon?" Abel asked as the line shortened.

"Oh, I've been here a couple times, visiting. I took the tour and studied a map of the school's layout when I came here to apply," Leon elaborated. The two stepped into the line to get checked in, their eyes wandering around the room as they waited. Abel caught sight of the gray-clad boy from earlier, their eyes meeting for a moment and both sharing a nod of acknowledgement.

As Abel and Leon's turn came up, the woman at the desk set her eyes upon them. She looked to be in her late twenties, raven hair styled and pulled back into a tight bun at the back of her head as she chewed a toothpick absently. Despite working at a desk, she was quite well built beneath the sleeveless green shirt that adorned her upper body, Abel unable to see what other clothing she had.

"Look, I'm sure you kids are nice enough, but I'm gettin' tired of subbing at this desk job, so can we hurry it up?" she told them tersely, her voice firm and confident, even as it gave off an undertone of impatience. Leon stepped forward first, his imposing size not bothering the woman in the slightest.

"Leon Rosso, ma'am," the colossal man said with utmost respect, piquing Abel's interest. The woman typed away quickly at her computer, a small printer next to the keyboard printing out a white card with Leon's full name inscribed onto it. She reached beneath the desk and brought out a small dark yellow strap, like one would use for packing freight.

"Alright, Rosso, you're stuff is going in R7, You, wolf-boy, you're next," the woman said, waving her left index finger at Abel in a "come here" fashion. Abel stepped forward quickly, his ears flattening against his head as he felt a foreign discomfort settle over him. It was almost like when he was a child and first saw a Grimm, its presence looming and dangerous. This was the feeling he got from this woman as she directed her undivided attention at him.

"Abel Blackthorn, ma'am," he said as politely as he could, willing his ears to stand up but to no avail. She locked her eyes onto him, and he noticed that while her left eye was a vivid forest green, her right eye was a pale blue akin to that of arctic ice. She pursed her lip slightly, her slightly pale skin reflecting the light off her computer terminal as she printed out his name card.

"Here, Blackthorn. You're in B5. Interesting name by the way," she commented as she handed him the name card and a freight belt. "You can tell Rosso since you two seem buddy-buddy, but you're supposed to use those on your luggage. Bind it together and slap your name onto it so the load-up guys know what belongs to who."

"Thank you, Miss..." Abel began as he took the card, realizing that she wasn't wearing any sort of name badge nor did she have a plaque. _She did mention she was a substitute..._ he reminded himself as the green-clad woman rolled the toothpick from the left side of her mouth to the right.

"Talia Emryl. Now get going, Blackthorn, I've got others to deal with," the woman identified as Talia said as she waved him off. Abel did as he was told and hurried along with his things to B5. Out of habit he retrieved two extra magazines of ammunition from his bags and tucked them into the large pockets of his coat, before securing his nametag to the freight strap and tying his two bags together.

He met back up with Leon at the door, the large man looking rather happy as he finished affixing a large sword-belt around his waist. The sword in question must have been his family sword Secemo, a monster of a sword at over three and a half feet long with only a single-hand hilt. Intriguingly to Abel, the round pommel of the huge spatha-style sword had a lion's face engraved into it. Leon flashed Abel a broad grin as the smaller approached.

"Can you believe we just met Talia Emryl at a help desk?" the swordsman eagerly asked, as cheerful as Abel had seen him yet.

"I caught her name as I was leaving, though I cannot say I know why she is so important to you," Abel confessed to his friend as they left the check-in station and made their way to the auditorium. Abel enjoyed greenery that accompanied the many paths around the school, the scents of trees and flowers reminding him of home.

"How can you not heard of Talia Emryl?" Leon said with an incredulous look. "She's one of the most famous Huntresses in Vytal!"

"I'm afraid I've never kept up with celebrities," Abel told Leon, still not seeing what was so special about the woman. Her being a full-fledged Huntress explained her intimidating presence and displeasure at working at a desk, but it did not help Abel see why Leon was so excited about her. From what Abel had seen on the Dustnet during the flight to the Academy, Huntsman and Huntresses were all considered rather heroic, so he didn't see what set her so far apart from the Huntsman that greeted everyone before the flight.

"Talia Emryl single handedly defeated an entire pack of Beowolves and a Nevermore that were attacking the small village of Kodare, all without suffering a single civilian causality. Some say she even leapt between the Alpha Beowolf of the pack and a small girl, suffering a severe injury to her arm and still defeating the Grimm," Leon explained, the wonder in his voice betraying how much pure admiration he held for the woman.

"That is certainly very heroic," Abel agreed, his ears perking up in surprise that so small a person could have done that much damage. Talia Emryl could have only been five foot five inches at the most.

"You don't sound very impressed," Leon frowned, looking at his friend with disappointment as they entered the main auditorium in the secondary annex of the school. Talia was clearly a sort of idol to Leon, and to see that someone didn't share in his admiration for her upset him a small bit.

"Don't take any offense to it," the wolf-eared young man assured Leon. "You'll come to find not many things get a huge rise out of me."

By now the auditorium was filling up quickly, most of the students done checking in and putting away their things. Abel noticed with a small bit of amusement that many students seemed to be avoiding them, though whether it was Abel's Faunus traits or Leon's oppressive presence the white-haired Huntsman-in-training could not decide. His gaze wandered the room as they waited, taking in all that he could as he pondered what to do before the welcoming ceremony started. He studied the various groups of students, many being masses of individuals while some had formed together into chatting groups that undoubtedly knew each other from schools previous to their time at Beacon. Abel spotted the gray-clad boy again, standing at the edge of the crowd and looking somewhat out of place as he wandered the edge of the throng of students. Abel caught his eye with a wave, and he began to slowly and carefully make his way through the crowd towards the titanic Leon and the aloof appearing Abel.

"Hey," the gray wearing young man greeted them as he stepped free from the crowd and into the circle that seemed to clear of its own accord for Leon. His sky blue eyes glanced about the room quickly and his left hand gripped the sheath of his sword near where the crossguard of his sword met the scabbard, almost casually if not for the whitening of his knuckles.

"You and I keep running into one another," Abel greeted, extending his right hand. "You seem a bit unnerved."

"You could say that," the boy responded as he shook Abel's hand with his own right hand. "I'm just not used to being around this many people at once. Oh, pardon me. Where are my manners? My name is Alastair Wintergale."

"Abel Blackthorn," Abel responded to Alastair with a slight incline of the head. He turned slightly to face Leon, who pulled his gaze down from the still-empty stage to regard their new acquaintance.

"Leonidas Rosso," the large young man said as as extended his own right hand to shake. Alastair tentatively shook the hand of the colossus, acting as if he feared the action would result in the breaking of his hand.

"A pleasure," Alastair said, glancing to his left and setting his back a little straighter.

"You should relax," Abel told the gray-clad young man, gently patting him on the shoulder. "I can understand the anxiety, but you must put yourself outside of the situation. Try to keep yourself distanced yet present."

"Th-thanks," Alastair said, his nervous glances breaking as he offered Abel a smile.

"Hey," Leon cut it, tapping both of them on the back. "The Headmaster just stepped on stage."

The lights dimmed as Abel brought his stare to rest upon the stage. There stood Professor Ozpin, the eccentric Headmaster of Beacon Academy. The green-clad man so radiated of peace and surety that it made even Abel feel more secure the longer he was in the man's presence .

"Greetings," the mysterious Ozpin began, speaking into the microphone as he leaned on his cane in his right hand, ever present mug of coffee in his left. "I would like to welcome you all to Beacon Academy. You all have come, from both far and wide, seeking to better yourselves and acquire new skills, so that you might one day serve as the protectors of the people. However, I look amongst you and see nervousness, unsurety, and trepidation. You have come to this Academy to seek knowledge which will aid you in dashing these doubts, both in yourself and each other. But in time you will learn that it is up to you to forge your own destinies. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for you all." With that cryptic statement, Professor Ozpin walked away from the microphone, leaving a tall blonde woman with bright green eyes, one Glynda Goodwitch, to take over.

"You shall all be resting in the Grand Ballroom for the evening. Initiation will take place at 9:00A.M. tomorrow morning," the infamously strict and proper teacher of Beacon Academy informed them as she stood in focus. "Good luck, and again, welcome to our Academy."

Students began filing out as the welcoming ceremony ended. Many began heading towards the dining hall, while others sought to get their things and set up their places in the grand ballroom. Abel took a moment to enjoy the large auditorium, seeing railings along the roof that insinuated that the room they were in was actually an amphitheater with an adjustable roof. Snapping out of his reverie, Abel looked to see Leon and Alastair had already disappeared. The wolf-eared young man glanced around, trying to locate them.

"Your friends left already," a girl's voice spoke up. Abel turned on the spot to see a young girl leaning against the wall, tucked into a corner to be as far away from the students that filled the room just moments ago. The girl looked about his age, standing at five feet two inches tall, with long chocolate brown hair that hung down past her shoulders, topped with a pair of rabbit ears that looked as if they had been crushed at one point, as they were bent and crimped awkwardly and covered in small scars. Her bangs were cut in a choppy style, framing her bright violet eyes on a face that would have been very cute if not for the guarded look in her eyes.

The girl wore a black hoodie with dark purple accents, a black blouse with a ruffled collar beneath it. She had a pleated black and purple skirt that fell to just above her knees, with black leggings disappearing up under the skirt. Black and purple sneakers finished off the attire, and her body language was a strange combination of aloof and frightened.

"Thank you for telling me," Abel said with an inclination of his head, both to show gratitude and to let the much shorter girl see that he too was a Faunus. "I am Abel Blackthorn. Might I get your name?"

"Kazue Murasaki," the girl replied quietly as she pushed herself out of the corner. Abel caught a momentary glint of metal from under her hoodie, but she quickly breezed passed him and left the amphitheater-turned-auditorium.

"I'd hurry to get dinner," Abel called after her, noticing with some amusement how Kazue's shoulders tensed slightly, her right rabbit ear tucking down to match her left.

"I'd planned on it," came her quickly reply, before she began jogging away.

Abel looked after the vanishing girl as he exited the auditorium, looking up at the sky to see the Sun already growing lower in the sky, "Seems my school life will certainly be lively," he chuckled to himself.


	2. Chapter 2: Brick by Brick

**Alrighty, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! I present to you Chapter 2 of A Bit of the Before. I give you, Part 1 of Team BLWK's Initiation! To any and all of my wonderful readers, thank you for taking the time to read this little by product of my imagination. I realize it may not be the best, but it is mine and I'm glad that any of you like it.**

**Without further delay, enjoy!**

* * *

Cast_ into the skies they soar, knowing not of the destiny that holds them. But, all things that rise must fall_, Abel Blackthorn thought to himself as he rocketed through the air high above the Emerald Forest.

The time of the Initiation had come faster than anyone had expected. Professor Ozpin had shattered all preconceived notions about the Initiation and teams, announcing that they must retrieve a relic from the far side of the forest and find a teammate. Said teammate would be with them for their entire stay with Beacon Academy. It was the method of how these pairings were made that had sent Abel into his philosophical monologue.

The trees loomed closer now, spires of brown and green, ready to take his sudden impact. To let him smash against their hard bark and stiff branches and never notice the life that vanished upon meeting them. But that was not Abel's fate, nor would he let it become his fate.

Twisting in midair, the white-haired young man unsheathed his weapons. Clutching both of the black and white pistols firmly, he pressed the tiny switch that shifted them into their dagger form. As tree limbs began flying past, he lashed out both his arms and unleashed his Aura. Radiant white vapor, wispy and pale, poured off his body for a moment as he fortified himself with its power. The blades of his daggers dug deep into the trunk of a tree at a diagonal angle, carving through bark and lumber before leaving the tree.

Thanks to the loss of speed from digging through the tree, Abel managed to catch the next branch that passed just over his head. Grunting from the powerful jerk of his sudden stop, the wolf Faunus smiled to himself.

"Metaphysical introspection later, mission now," he reminded himself, kicking his legs back behind him then swinging forward to dislodge his daggers and send him pinwheeling to the ground twenty feet below. He landed in a roll, coming up with his arms held out perpendicular to his body, both daggers held in a reverse-hand grip.

Gunshots and the pained groan-and-snap of shattering tree limbs echoed around him as his fellow initiates landed. With a knowing smirk, Abel stood straight and shifted the dagger in his left hand back into pistol form. Taking his first step after hitting the ground, he moved onward.

* * *

In another part of the Emerald Forest, the sharp clang of claws meeting metal rang out through the trees. Leonidas Rosso, now clad in the intricate bronze armor of his battle gear, clenched his teeth as sharp claws rasped across the massive disc that was his shield, Arx. The beowolf before him made for an ironic battle, as a man battling a beowolf was depicted on the very shield he held. The wolf-like monster growled at him after seeing the ineffectiveness of its attack, hopping back and landing on all fours as it prepared to pounce.

"Have at you, foul beast!" Leonidas roared as the beowolf leaped at him. Secemo, the large spatha sword of his family, sang through the air in a direct and straight thrust as the monster soared at him. The blade found its mark, disappearing into dark fur and vile flesh as it pierced the beowolf's heart. Snarling in contempt, Leonidas lifted his armor clad right foot and kicked the beast off of his sword as it hit the ground. With a final horizonal slash from his left to his right, the bronze-clad warrior severed the beast's head to confirm its death.

"May your wretched corpse not stain the ground beneath it," the hoplite growled as he stepped around the fallen creature of Grimm and continued on his way. He had heard others landing within a mile or two of him, and the first person who met his eyes would be his ally in the years to come.

A branch snapped behind the large warrior, catching his attention. Leonidas spun on his heel, anticipating another Grimm and lashing out with his sword. Thus, it came to his great surprise when the sudden shriek of metal colliding with metal tore through the air. The hoplite was somewhat shocked at the thin black and steel-gray katana that had blocked his Secemo.

Holding the blade was the gray-clad boy from the previous day. Pale blue eyes burned with some hidden strength, as he stood in a half crouch. Right hand holding the hilt of his weapon while the other pressed against the back of the blade to help halt Leonidas's sudden swing. More impressive, however, was that at the same time the boy had blocked, he had angled his weapon to have the tip of the blade pointed at Leonidas's throat.

Leonidas's blank slated war-face broke as amusement twinkled in his dark brown eyes, "So I see you are not as timid on the battlefield, eh, Alastair?"

Alastair's own face, previously contorted with a snarl of exertion, smoothed as a small grin bloomed, "I've had more experience fighting than I have meeting strangers."

A booming laugh rumbled from Leonidas's chest as he pulled his sword from their still interlocked blades and stuck the weapon in the ground, offering his now free right hand to shake, "I'm happy to hear my comrade for the next four years is capable."

"Same to you, Leon," Alastair said with a wan smile, tossing his sword to his left hand then shaking Leon's extended right hand. "Now let's go find that relic."

* * *

"Gotta keep moving," she muttered quietly to herself, flickering through the trees like a wisp. Purple and black skirt fluttering in the wind as she ran, she began cresting a hill. She panted slightly as she crouched down on the flattest spot she could see on the hill, setting up her rifle before her. She positioned the barrel just on the crux of the hill, allowing her to keep her crouch but still aim effectively.

Kazue Murasaki did not like working with others. It was against her nature, and she refused to do it. So, instead of doing as she was told, and seeking out someone to make eye-contact with someone to become their partner, she was doing everything in her power to avoid looking directly at anyone. And, what better way to do that than through the lens of her trusty rifle's scope.

A nearly silent huff escaped her as she settled in her sniping position. Reaching forward with her left arm towards the end of her gun's barrel to unfold the bipod, setting it so that she had the ability to pan her vision without moving too much. With one final short breath to completely level her breathing, she closed her left eye and shouldered the rifle, the purple iris of her right eye reflecting off the lens for a split moment as she leaned to look through the scope.

Peering through the digitized scope, she noticed the small distance readout in the lower right indicate that she was currently viewing the forest about fifty meters away. Panning up as she chambered a round in the chamber, she focused the scope further using her left hand and zoomed in at one hundred meters. There was a gap in the trees in her vision, and judging by the looks of the half-destroyed tree trunks nearby, it wasn't man-made. Shifting her body ever so slightly to her left, she panned the rifle to her right and spotted the culprit. An Ursa Major, large even for its breed of Grimm, was making its way through the forest.

She fought back a grin as she sighted in the shot. With a small release of air, she squeezed the trigger. The gunshot reverberated throughout the entire forest, the Ursa Major raising its head in curiousity a split-second before the high-caliber round burrowed a tunnel into the creature's left eye. The hellish red glow faded from its remaining eye, and the Ursa tumbled to the ground, dead as a door nail.

"Booyah," Kazue grinned, kissing the stock of her rifle. Her joy was cut short as a low growl emanated from behind her. Quickly spinning on her heels, she turned just in time to see a beowolf emerge from the trees.

The strikingly white bone of its "mask" seemed to gleam in the light of the early morning, as thick globs of saliva fell from its gaping jaws. The low growl repeated, this time ending in a quiet roar. The beast coiled its body, like a freshly wound spring, and roared loudly as the black fur rippled across its body.

Kazue's hands immediately shot to her lower back, hands wrapping around the hilts of the ulaks hidden there. Unsheathing the weapons she snarled, pale blades shining in the sun as she clasped their violet hilts. She failed to notice the shadow moving behind the beowolf, and the promise therein.

Just as the beast seemed ready to charge, a rustle in the branches above the Grimm distracted both it and the young Faunus it saw as prey. Down from the foliage dropped another Faunus, hair pale as winter snow and wolf ears twitching as he dropped down onto the beowolf, burying two daggers into the sides of its neck. With a low hiss the white-haired wolf Faunus tore his weapons through the beast's neck and let the nearly severed head fall forward as he rolled off the creature's back.

"I was fine without your help," Kazue spoke quietly, recognizing her savior as the boy from the amphitheater yesterday. He kept his eyes pointed away from her, as his daggers both shifted into a pair of pistols. _'What is he doing?'_ Kazue thought to herself as her right rabbit ear twitched.

"You seem to be avoiding the other initiates," the boy remarked as he gazed to his left at the forest around them. "It's unwise, but I won't disregard your wishes. I'll only partner with you if that is what you want," he offered, still refusing to look her way.

Despite the seriousness of his voice, Kazue found herself covering her mouth as laughter blossomed in her chest. She sat there, crouched and holding her ulaks, as laugh after laugh escaped her. Tears were beginning to form in her violet eyes as she finally got herself under control.

Wiping her eyes with the back of her right wrist, she smiled, "Fine, you goof, I'll partner with you," she relented, getting a wry smile from the white-haired wolf as he turned to lock his golden eyes with her own violet.

"I'm glad we agree," was all he said as he strode forward, holstering his right-hand pistol behind him at his lower back. He held out his hand then, offering a kind smile to her. Kazue had to admit he was pretty handsome, with his sharp features, striking eyes and brilliantly white hair. Feeling warmth rising in her cheeks, she quickly sheathed her right ulak to shake his hand.

"We met yesterday, I'm Kazue," she introduced herself, the casual predatory feeling of his gaze making her blush.

"My name is Abel," he re-introduced himself, giving her hand a single shake before breaking the grip of their hands. "I see you are a sniper."

"Yeah…." Kazue answered slowly, her now-freed right hand going to the stock of her rifle defensively. "Something wrong with that?" she bit out.

Abel's response was to give a slow, small shake of his head as he backed up slightly, "I meant no disrespect, it was but a casual observation. I shall do my best to assist you in the years to come."

"Huh…" Kazue was thrown by his respectful yet casual behavior, shaking her head tiredly as she held her arms up in defeat. "I just had to get the weird one….."

A positively wolfish grin was her reply from her partner for the next four years…..

* * *

"So, Leonidas…," Alastair began cautiously as he and Leon walked through the dense forestry around them. "...any idea where the temple is?"

Leonidas's feet stopped as he halfway turned to view his partner. Despite the titanic man's friendly demeanor the previous day, Alastair had to admit the man was downright scary in his full armor. Add to that the sword at his hip that would be a two-handed weapon for anyone else and the ridiculously large shield that he held on his left arm. _'Really glad he's on my side',_ Alastair thought to himself as his left hand gripped the scabbard of his katana.

Alastair could not remember when and where he could developed the habit, but keeping his sword close at hand had been a comforting thing for as long as he could remember. It helped to distill the nervousness that settled in whenever he was around many people, to the point that not having the weapon at his side left him feeling naked. Growing up it had come to be a symbol of security for him, a reassurance that as long as he had it everything would be alright.

"Professor Ozpin said it was at the northern end of the forest," Leonidas told his smaller companion. "So we go north until we find a temple with relics to get. And call me Leon."

With this short reply Leon turned back to the north, squaring his shoulders as he walked. Alastair blinked several times before he hurried after the much larger man. '_He's certainly a strange one. Then again, I'm not exactly normal myself'_, Alastair conceded to himself. His left gripped the scabbard with a little less force as he followed along.

"Your name was Alastair, right?" Leon asked as he heard the swordsman catch up to him. _'Despite his skill with that sword he's still so defensive..'_ Leon pondered as he kept walking.

"Ye-yeah," the gray-clad swordsman answered, keeping pace with his hoplite partner as they walked onward. "Why?"

"Relax a little," Leon told him, turning his head slightly to the right to offer Alastair an encouraging smile. "Not many people have the reflexes to block my slash."

"Right," Alastair answered quietly, looking down for a moment. He cast his eyes forward again as a low rumble carried through the trees. Alastair's face tensed again as he widened his footing and his right hand gripped the hilt of his katana. His left thumb flicked the back of the crossguard, loosening the friction catch on scabbard and showing the first inch of the gleaming steel blade.

"Sounds like an Ursa," Leon commented as he too took a stance, hefting his large shield up higher as he squared his arm to guard their left flank. His spatha Secemo he held forward and to the right, covering the middle zone between the two of them. He watched the trees in front of them carefully, noting almost as an afterthought that Alastair had completely covered their right flank with just his stance and sword.

Not a moment later Leon's suspicions were confirmed, as a pair of Ursa emerged from the woods in front of them. Leon's eyes narrowed as he balanced his breathing. Both creatures of Grimm were just over seven feet tall at the shoulder, large for Ursa but not quite Ursa Major size. _'Hope he doesn't freeze,'_ Leon thought to himself as he cast a quick glance at Alastair.

Alastair's breath escaped in a low hiss through his clenched teeth. His drew his katana with obvious skill. left hand clasping the bottom of the hilt for more control. Another calm breath and to Leon's surprise a spark of blue electricity arced along the length of the blade.

"I'll take the one on the left," Leon told his partner as he turned his stance and brought his shield to bear on the Ursa to the left. "Can you handle it?"

"I can," Alastair answered simply, as his stance narrowed and he rose to the balls of his feet. Leon's eyes widened as Alastair lunged forward, steps quick and light as he rushed the Ursa on the right.

The creature of Grimm rose up onto its hind legs as it swiped its massive left paw at Alastair. The gray swordsman rolled to the left, under the swing and close to the Ursa's side. He slashed upward as he came to his feet, slicing up the length of the Ursa's right hind leg. As the Ursa began to fall Alastair side-stepped to his left and around the side, impaling the blade into full length of his katana's blade into the monster's side.

Pale blue Aura glowed along Alastair's entire body as his eyes shone vibrant electric blue. Electricity surged visibly down his arms and into the sword in his hands, flowing into the Ursa's body. The monster howled and twitched as the fur along its body bristled all along its body. With a quick pull back Alastair withdrew the blade from the Ursa's body. With a flick of his wrist he cast the dark blood of the Grimm off of his blade and onto the ground, spinning in place to attack the other if need be.

Alastair let out a sigh of relief as he turned not to see the second Ursa bearing down on him, but to see Leon smashing the edge of his shield into the bone plate of Ursa's face. The beast let out a horrific roar as it staggered back, Leon slashing twice in an 'X' shaped pattern across its chest before plunging his blade into the second Ursa's belly. Pivoting on his armored legs, Leon tore his weapon through the abdomen of the monster and out to his right, opening the Ursa's stomach like a man would gut a fish. The second Ursa fell back as the grievous wounds killed it, the hellish light fading from its eyes.

"Two to one?" Alastair offered with a nervous grin as Leon looked at him. The dark blood of the Grimm still dripped from the tip of Leon's sword, and the viscous liquid splattered across his shield and chestplate. Despite these things, Alastair found himself unafraid. After all, this terrifying mountain of a man had just protected him, as Alastair had protected him.

"Excuse me?" Leon asked in his deep voice as he dragged the flat of Secemo along the hide of his kill, trying to wipe the blood from the blade.

"I read in a book once that soldiers and Hunters did that. You know, kept count of their kills as a kind of game..." Alastair said, left hand once again gripping his scabbard as he felt he'd made some mistake. "Should I not have said that?"

Leon stared at him for a moment, the short time feeling like eternity as Leon's dark eyes focused on Alastair, before he surprised the nervous swordsman by bursting out laughing. What began as a low chuckle quickly bloomed into raucous laughter as the hoplite planted his shield into the ground, leaning on it for support during his mirth.

"N-No, Alastair," Leon gasped as he got his laughter under control. "I just didn't expect you to offer that sort of competition. You don't seem the type," he explained, as he stood straight again and lifted his shield from the ground. Alastair simply stood there, eyes averted to the ground as he sheathed his sword. "But why two-to-one?" Leon asked, seeing his new friend's disposition.

"Because you killed that beowolf before we partnered," Alastair explained as he realized Leon was not mocking him in his laughter.

"Hmm…, I suppose you're right," Leon nodded, arcing his arm back to rest his sword on his shoulder. "What say we keep going and see who comes out winning by the end of the Initiation? Loser buys the drinks at dinner."

A broad grin grew across Alastair face at Leon's prospect, "You're on." The two began walking again, avoiding the downed bodies of the Ursa as they set out north again.

"And Alastair," Leon spoke up as they left the clearing the Ursas had attacked them in, sheathing Secemo at his hip.

"Yes?" came the reply as Alastair raised his eyebrow at Leon.

"Relax! That's an order!" Leon spoke as he clapped Alastair on the back with his right hand, **_hard_**.

* * *

"It seems this is it," Abel commented as he and Kazue entered a massive clearing. At the heart of it was an old temple, half of the stone arches broken and missing. It the structure had ever had a ceiling it had been destroyed by the elements long ago.

"Yeah," Kazue replied simply, adjusting the strap that held her sniper rifle across her back at an angle. There was a clasp on the strap that would allow her to take it off as she brought her rifle around, keeping it from getting in her way. Abel had to admit the sight of the petite rabbit Faunus with such a large sniper rifle would have been somewhat comical, if not for the casual way she moved with it. The ulaks she had hidden under her hoodie only added to her nonchalant capability.

The Faunus pair made their way straight towards the temple, keeping their eyes open as they reached the edge of the ancient rotunda. Abel casually rose his pale left eyebrow as he saw that the sixteen relics they were to choose from where various metallic playing cards, all poised on small stands to make them easier to see. It seemed there were four of every suit of cards: hearts, clubs, diamonds and clubs.

"Playing...cards?" Kazue muttered quietly, her own eyebrow raising as her rabbit ears twitched. "I'm not surprised, from what I've heard of Professor Ozpin. What suit should we pick?"

"I'm sure there is some secret meaning to all of them," Abel mused as he stroked his chin. He passed his gaze over all of the cards, seeing that the four of each suit were in fact the Jacks, Queens, Kings and Aces. With a low hum, Abel strode forward and plucked up the Ace of Diamonds. "Eh?"

"Works for me," Kazue shrugged as she walked over to the four pillars that held the Suit of Diamonds. Without giving much thought to it she grabbed the lone female card of the suit, the Queen of Diamonds. "Let's go ahead and head back," she said, pulling the collar of her blouse out to tuck the metallic card into her underclothing.

"Patience, Kazue. It would be better if we waited here," Abel called after her, as he tucked his own card into one of the many pockets of his coat. He leaned against the pillar that held his card as the rabbit Faunus turned to look at her partner. A look of frustration etched across her delicate features, and her eyebrows knit together as she met his golden gaze.

"And why should we do that?" the violet-eyed sniper asked with a frown, her hip angling out to the left as she put her left hand on it.

_'Proceed with caution now, Abel, you know what that look means on a woman,'_ Abel thought to himself as he offered her a calm smile, idly sticking his hands in the pockets of his black jeans. "We'll be safer in numbers. We should let the rest of the initiates catch up with us and then all head back as a group. We're less likely to get attacked if there is a large group of armed people to dissuade the Grimm," he explained to her, nodding towards her rifle.

Kazue's hand left her hip as she gave Abel's words a moment to think upon. It was true that more Hunters and Huntress-in -training meant they were less likely to get attacked, but at the same time….. _'You're not how you used to be. Besides these are people who came here to protect others, so there should be nothing to worry about',_ she told herself, irritated with her own indecisiveness.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she relented as she walked back over to the pillar that the Queen of Diamonds had rested upon. She flicked off the stand with her left hand, venting the last of her frustrations, before hopping up and sitting on the small pillar. "But did it occur to you that maybe I don't like large groups of people?"

"Indeed it did," Abel responded vaguely, as he looked up at the sky and continued to lean against the pillar. _….which is precisely why I suggested it, he added to himself._

* * *

Alastair and Leon emerged from the dense trees almost an hour after Abel and Kazue had. While the Faunus pair had done everything in their power to avoid a fight, it almost seemed like Alastair and Leon had taken every chance to fight whatever got in their way. Both of them looked slightly scuffed, with several fresh claw marks across the surface of Leon's shield. Alastair's own dark blue jeans were torn at the right knee from where he had skidded to avoid a boarbatusk, the fabric frayed at the edges of the hole.

"I figured you were strong, what with all that muscle, but did you really have to_ literally throw_ one beowolf at another?" Alastair asked as they cleared the brush and forest, walking towards the ancient rotunda. It seemed not many people were there, only seeing the outlines of two figures as they approached.

"I don't like beowolves," Leon answered simply as they reached the edge of the ruined structure. Abel Blackthorn, the white-haired Faunus that Alastair had met the previous day,. waved at them from where he stood leaning against one of the vacant pillars. On the pillar next to him sat a rabbit Faunus girl, clad in black and purple and Alastair had to admit she was pretty cute. He suppressed the urge to grimace as his eyes fell on her ears though, seeing the many scars and awkward crimps and bends they had.

The purple and black clad girl caught his eyes and held his gaze, even as her eyebrows descended into a scowl, "Problem?" _Leave to a human to always stare…._

"None at all!" Alastair spoke quickly, waving his hands in front of him as he noticed the large rifle poking out from behind her admittedly thin back. _She's like a doll…_, he thought to himself before he noticed her glaring at him, _a hostile, heavily armed doll….._

"Seems we're the last to make it," Leon spoke as he gave a smile back to Abel.

Despite the white-haired Faunus's warnings, the other students had not agreed to his idea of safety in numbers, instead choosing to grab their relics and leave. To Leon's disappointment, he saw that he and Alastair had been the last to arrive, all relics gone save for the Jack and King of Diamonds.

"Not much of a choice now," Alastair mumbled under his breath as he grabbed the Jack of Diamonds, Leon's large arm reaching passed him to grab the King.

"If my assumption is correct," Abel spoke up, stepping away from the pillar he was leaning on and spreading out his arms to encompass all of them. "I do believe that all of us having the same cards would make us a team."

"Sounds about right," Kazue sighed as she hopped off the pillar she had been resting on. She shifted the rifle on her back again and dusted off her skirt. "Kazue Murasaki."

"Leonidas Rosso, call me Leon," Leon introduced himself, not making any moves to shake Kazue's hand or any normal greeting. "Pleased to meet you."

Kazue nodded at Leonidas's introduction, then turned her violet gaze onto Alastair. Her eyes were somewhat flat, as if to say_ 'Well?'_. Alastair suppressed the urge to shiver. _Women can be really scary..._he mentally shuddered.

"Alastair Wintergale," he quickly gave his name, not wanting to upset this girl. "Nice to meet you." The rabbit girl gave even less of an indication that she cared about his name, instead turning to look expectantly at Abel.

"I'm ready to go if you are," Abel told the rabbit girl with a smile, having seemingly read her mind. Kazue began walking without another word, her pace relaxed as can be. Abel immediately began to follow, offering the other pair a helpless shrug. Leon and Alastair shared a look before following as well, the gray-clad member of the pair nervously holding his sword's scabbard again.

They made good time back towards the school for the first half hour. This was not to last, however, as they ended up hitting a very dense copse of trees. The branches grew too close together to allow much light to pierce the canopy. The roots entangled the ground too haphazardly for anyone to walk through without risk of breaking their ankle. But that wasn't the true threat….

Kazue and Abel's superior Faunus vision pierced the heavy shadows of the forest, both sets of eyes widening as their hands rushed to their backs, "**Grimm!**"

The beasts cleared the trees seconds after the call. Beowolves, half a pack's worth, all claws and bone spurs and fangs, rushed down the four would-be Hunters. Abel had already cleared his handguns, Kazue her ulaks, Alastair responded a split second later, his katana leaving the sheath and swiping through the air at the first beowolf that got near him, slashing it's throat. Leonidas reacted best, stepping forward and bashing two of the beasts back with his large shield.

"Fall back!" he bellowed, backswinging his shield and knocking aside another beowolf as he drew his sword. "Form up and take them down!"

The four Hunters-in-training quickly backpedaled away from the copse of trees, Leon's shield flickering in the sun as he bashed back another beast. The four grouped together, Alastair and Abel on Leon's sides with Kazue behind him, as the beowolves encircled them all.

"I really don't like beowolves," Leon muttered under his breath as the circle of Grimm tightened. Their snarls and yelps of excitement sent shivers down Leon's spine, though he clenched his grip on sword harder.

"They're going to attack soon," Abel told his comrades, his voice even and calm as he held his Twin Fangs both in their pistol forms. "Eight in total, plus the Alpha at the edge of the trees. Two each?" His golden eyes tracked each beowolf that moved across his vision, left hand following as he kept his right closer to his body.

"If I can get to a perch, I can take half of them out fast," Kazue commented, her ulaks out once again as she raised herself to the balls of her feet. Rabbit Faunus were well known to be some of the fastest, and if the form of the muscles beneath Kazue's leggings were any indication, she kept true to rumor.

"They're focused on her, because she's smallest," Alastair spoke, voice quick and quiet as he held his sword out parallel to the ground, gripped in both hands. A single spark of blue electricity arced from the crossguard to the tip of the blade, making Kazue jolt slightly when she heard the crackle of the energy.

"Alright. Here's the game-plan," Leon spoke up after factoring in all their input. "Kazue, I hate to say it but Alastair's probably right. If you can distract them, the rest of us should be able to take them out quickly."

"I really don't like this idea," the rabbit Faunus groaned as she began bouncing on her heels, preparing the muscles in her legs for what was about to come. "But I suppose I can blame the Grimm for that and not Sparky over here."

"Hey-" Alastair began, taking his eyes away from the a moment to glance at Kazue. That was all the chance the beowolves needed, the one nearest Alastair leaping forward, jaws wide to take in the throat of its prey.

"Down!" Kazue yelled, her left leg lashing out as quick as she could and kicking Alastair's right leg out from under him. The maneuver just barely worked, Alastair falling back just in time to avoid the clamping jaws of the beowolf that was now above him. Kazue spun on her heel as her left foot landed, twirling both ulaks towards the beast's head. With a fast, wet tearing sound, the monster's head lolled to the right as Kazue separated all but the farthest bit of its neck from the rest of its body.

The defensive formation broke in the same moment that the remaining seven creatures of Grimm lunged at the four initiates. Alastair was still on his back as the beasts' dark bodies carried through the air. The three standing Hunters-in-training had mere fractions of a second to react.

Abel's reaction was quickest, the Wolf Faunus having been on edge since the beasts began circling. The three that closed the distance inside his field of vision were met with a pair of bullets to the skulls of the beowolves on the left and right of his perception. For the one in the middle he took a more direct approach: a sudden whirling heel kick with his left leg that caught the imposing monster in the jaw. An audible crack! rang out on impact, as the beowolf's course was altered and it flipped over Abel's shoulder.

Leon's defense came a moment later, a broad sweep of the hard, thin edge ofhis shield taking out the middle and left attackers and sending them tumbling into each other. Secemo lanced out with the speed of an arrow, finding purchasing down the throat of the sixth beowolf, its fangs scraping futilely on Leon's manica-covered right arm. A smirk of satisfaction curled the hoplite's lips as his shrugged the monster off his blade.

_'Shit, Kazue!'_ both Abel and Leon thought in unison as they spun to come to the aid of the rabbit-eared Faunus. Their movements, rapid and urgent, ground to a halt was they saw the image before them.

Kazue stood, upper body tilted forward and balanced on her left leg. Her right leg, muscles in heightened definition from sudden, _extreme_, use, were starkly apparent beneath her leggings. The girl's Aura, a luminescent and neon bright purple even in the late morning, shone brightly along her entire form. The severe shock to the Wolf and Hoplite was the state of the single beowolf that had lunged at her as she tried to pull Alastair to his feet. The poor beast's face was caved in almost comically. The bones of its snout were shattered and rammed into its face, the boneplate "mask" cracked severely as the once fearsome monster fell onto its back whimpering like the beaten puppy it probably felt like at that moment. With a sudden pivot on her left leg, Kazue twirled with ballerina-like grace and flipped into the air, curling her body into a ball as she arched above the downed beast. Her legs straightened explosively when she was mere inches above the wounded beowolf's face. The force of the flying, Aura-enhanced, double-legged stomp effectively reduced the poor monster's face to little more than a red and black smear in the grass.

"Holy shi-" Alastair, now having regained his proper footing and standing, gawked in awe of the sudden, violent display. With a nonchalant grace of someone kicking a leaf from their boot, Kazue did a single kick with each of her legs and scattered the final viscera that had been the beowolf's head along the grassy field around them.

"Seconded," Abel and Leon added, barely daring to breathe as Kazue looked at the three of them with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" Kazue said, noticing their shocked stares. "We Rabbit Faunus have very good legs." Her eyes widened as she looked passed the three boys, the warning forming in her throat.

Alastair's nerves, still lit from the encounter, caught the sudden change in expression and he spun on his heel. Looming behind Leon was the towering visage of the Alpha Beowolf, jaws wide to take in the head of their largest companion.

"No!" Alastair's voice left him the same moment as his left hand shot forward. A thick bolt of lightning, pale blue and as magnificent as any bolt cast by the Heavens, lanced from Alastair's extended left hand and flew between Leon and Abel. The bolt of electrical energy caught the Alpha Beowolf in the upper chest, hoisting the beast up into the air with the force of the impact. A wave of thunder, deafening at this close range, tore apart the sounds of the forest in its sudden birth.

The monster landed nearly ten feet away, fur standing on end as little sparks arced along the now stilled body. Its still gaping jaws steamed violently as crimson eyes lay dim and dead. The awkward, jagged way the body sprawled out across the ground, and the smoking crater in the center of its upper chest, made it obvious how powerful the bolt had been.

Alastair's shoulders sagged at the sudden drain from such an attack. His ears rang from the crash of the thunder, and his vision swam. He felt a hand on his shoulder, his head swivelling loosely and lazily to see Kazue's face with an almost concerned look. Her rabbit ears curled close to her head as she mouthed words he couldn't hear. Before he could ask what she had said, the ground lurched out from beneath him.

The gray swordsman hit the dirt face first. The warm grass tickled his nose as shadows loomed at the edge of his vision. Fatigue, daunting and heavy, weighed down his entire body as he suddenly relaxed on the ground. A nap sounded wonderful right about now.

_The grass...so soft….._ were his last thoughts before the shadows consumed his vision and the world faded away.

* * *

**And that is Part 1! Part Two will be coming not long after the next Chapter of A Wall Against the Dark. Again, this is a side project building on my team a little more before they get involved with RWBY, JNPR and REPR, so it will take second place to the main fic Puppeteer and I are working on. To those of you that enjoy this, I'm happy that I can entertain. If I'm doing something wrong, or you especially liked something, why not be a pal and drop a review, ne?**

**This has been your host, Relks the Disturbed.**

**Vale, my readers...**


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